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1. Field of the Invention
The apparatus of the present invention relates to fishing reels and spool constructions, more particularly to spinning reels and an improved configuration for a spinning reel spool.
2. General Background of the Invention
Spinning reels are currently the most popular reels used for sport fishing world-wide. While the basic design of these reels has seen some changes since their introduction in the early 1900""s, two problems remain that are related to the design of the spools used in this type of fishing reel.
The first problem consists of the cumbersome process of removing old fishing line from the spool. Currently, the line has to be manually pulled off the spool, foot by foot, a time consuming and frustrating process that leaves a large heap of tangled line. Since many fishermen put off the time consuming and boring changing of line, many a xe2x80x9cbig onexe2x80x9d gets away due to the braking of old, damaged line.
The second problem relates to the fastening of the fishing line to the spool. Modern spools are usually made of polished aluminum or smooth graphite materials. While use of these materials allows for long casts with a minimum of friction, fastening of the end of the line to the spool becomes a weak point. Hard fishing lines, especially modern braided lines, will at times not develop sufficient friction between the innermost layer of the line and the spool. This problem increases at lower temperatures. In these situations, cranking the handle of the reel will not lead to the taking up of line, but rather to the rotation of the entire coil of line around the spool.
Many fishermen try to avoid this problem by attempting to securely tighten the line around the spool using elaborate knots. This, however, does not reliably eliminate the problem. Moreover, the bulky knots used for tightening may interfere with the smooth release of line during the casting process, especially with modern, elongated spools designed for long-distance casting. Previous designs, offering the attachment of line by way of through holes or slots in the spool, or by way of external notches in the spool, fail to solve this problem satisfactorily, as outlined below.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,111 to Berke describes a spool having a detachable flange for removing damaged line. The Berke patent does not relate to a fishing reel spool construction but rather to a separate line winding tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,443 to Miyazaki discloses a notch in the barrel of a spool, for securing line.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,623 to Smith describes a fishing reel spool containing an elongated opening, generally parallel to the spool axis, with multiple smaller orthogonal side openings. Securement of line to the spool occurs through wedging of a preformed knot at the end of the line into smaller orthogonal portions of the longitudinal slot. Separation of the line from the spool is possible through retrograde movements of the line and detachment of the preformed knot from its wedged position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,003 to Sacconi discloses a fishing reel spool which can be threadably separated, and a cartridge spool which contains line and which fits over a first spool axle, both spools being reversibly locked together by a locking detent. The fishing reel spool is not designed to take up line directly without a cartridge spool.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,864 to Cole teaches a line winding tool including a take-up spool with removable flange for removing line from a conventional fishing reel spool.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,843 to Nothdurft teaches a fishing reel design which includes a spool and cover both having an aperture. The fishing line is passed through both apertures and then knotted at the outside of the cover of the spool.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,777,648; 2,696,951; and 2,669,400 to Wood describe an arbor, to be mounted on the shaft of a conventional fishing reel spool, containing apertures for attachment of fishing line.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,309,146 to Whistler teaches a spool with a transverse bore through a hub portion and a spindle for passing one end of a fishing line to be wound on said spool.
The suggested new spool consists of two parts, an upper part, and a lower part, which can be assembled or taken apart using a simple mechanism of external and internal threads. Removal of old line now becomes very quick and hassle free: the two segments filled with line are simply taken apart, leaving immediately a neat coil of old line that can be discarded easily.
In addition, one of the two segments of the spool features a small opening at the site of attachment of the opposing segment. This opening is used to introduce the end of the line, which is then attached to a small wire loop on the inner surface of that same spool segment. This will lead to a secure connection of the line to the spool, eliminating possible gliding of the entire coil of line around the spool. The knot of the connection is hidden inside the spool, avoiding all interference of the knot with the smooth separation of line from the spool during the casting process. Since the knot is firmly attached to the interior of the spool, it cannot slip out of the opening.
By modifying the spool structure, the invention, iter alia, substantially shortens the process of line removal, provides for a secure connection of the line to the spool, and eliminates possible interference of the knot with the casting process.
A feature of the present invention is that the spool can be taken apart in a plurality of segments for easy line removal. The spool described uses a simple threading mechanism to join the two segments of the spool. An additional conventional locking mechanism could be used to prevent all accidental loosening of the connection, and/or any other conventional locking mechanism could be used instead of the threads to join the spool segments.
Another feature of the present invention is that the line is attached firmly to structural parts of the spool center, and not simply wound around the spool, thus preventing the slipping of the entire line coil. The invention described here uses a single opening and a wire loop connector at the inside of the spool for the fastening of the line. Multiple variations of this, using one or more openings, and/or various devices for the attachment of the line, could be used.
Yet another feature of the present invention is that the knot of the line connection is hidden inside the spool, thus avoiding possible interference with the casting process, yet being firmly connected to the spool, avoiding potential separation of the line end from the spool that may be caused by backward movements of the line.